


Pomp and Circumstance

by RuuChan



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Choices, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Growing Up, Realization, Sad with a Happy Ending, graduating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 23:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14555832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuuChan/pseuds/RuuChan
Summary: Adrien Agreste, now 18 years old and a high school graduate, finally learns the identity of Ladybug and the rest of the Miraculous FIve; the name the public has given to represent the group of superheroes Ladybug, Chat Noir, Carapace, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee. With this realization, Adrien must decide if he can truly be happy in America studying Criminal Justice, or if what he should really do is stay in Paris with Ladybug to continue protecting Paris from Hawk Moth. Core-rocking revelations, heartache but not heartbreak and an almost stubbornness to not change what has been for years could break the Miraculous Five forever and that might be just what Hawk Moth needs to finally triumph and seize the Miraculous. The truth lies in wait under all the Pomp and Circumstance.





	Pomp and Circumstance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Robert and Kim](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Robert+and+Kim).



> Hi guys, Ruu here! This is an ever-evolving piece of writing and I've been using every bit of Miraculous information I can come by. If you see any inconsistencies or something I should think of adding, please let me know!  
> Stay awesome loves.

Adrien Agreste was shaping up to be a remarkable young man. At only 18 years old he was already a successful model with plenty of ties in extraordinary places. He was the perfect student and the greatest friend to anyone and everyone he met. Of course, the only reason he seemed like the perfect teenage boy was that he was being shaped up. His father had been molding and micromanaging his son's life with a fierce obsession since Adrien's mother had disappeared over five years before.

Oddly enough the only time Adrien felt normal was when he ran the rooftops of Paris with his friends. No one knew this but Adrien was actually the superhero Chat Noir and he had been defending Paris for years from the villain known only as Hawk Moth. There were other heroes known only to him by the names of their alter egos, Rena Rouge the fox, Carapace the turtle and Queen Bee the honeybee. They had only been heroes for almost three years and while Chat Noir was close friends with each of them, none of them compared to his partner and the group's leader, Ladybug.

She was what captured Adrien's days and Chat Noir's nights with her black as night hair and her sparkling bluebell eyes. Both Adrien and his super alter ego had been in love with Ladybug as long as he had known her but no matter how much he tried to convince her otherwise, she never reciprocated his feelings. In one of the rare moments that she let him into her private life, Ladybug had confided in Chat Noir that she did love someone. It had killed him to learn this but he never pried on who the lucky boy was. Still, he never gave up hope. Adrien and Ladybug were meant to be.

Ladybug was on his mind now as he stared at two invitations, one in each hand. In the right, a heavy and very official looking card announced the commencement ceremony for the graduating class of Adrien's school. Tonight he and his friends would graduate from their high school and go their separate ways to pursue universities or job opportunities.

In the other hand, handmade and with beautiful calligraphic lettering was a small note that detailed how Chat Noir's miraculous could put him into a suit of silk rather than leather and to wear that suit to his graduation. Afterward, he was to meet his friends at the top of the Eiffel Tower for a celebration in his actual super suit. The note was signed with a ladybug.

Adrien was so ready for the excitements of the night that even the disappointment that his father wouldn't be attending the ceremony did little to dampen his spirits. Adrien was so excited in fact that he had begun digging through his suits in the closet before Plagg emerged from his shirt pocket.

"Kid! Don't you remember what Ladybug wrote in her invitation? Transform and you'll have the perfect suit. Whenever it's time to change back to your regular suit say ‘switch' and you'll be good to go." With that, he zipped off to where Adrien usually stashed some camembert, the kwami's favorite ‘power up' snack. After he had scarfed down a few slices Plagg returned to Adrien, his tail swishing. "Okay Adrien, I'm ready when you are."

"Alright," Adrien nodded, reaching out his right hand in a fist, silver ring flashing. "Plagg? Claws out!"

Electricity crackled across Adrien's body in the all too familiar feeling of transformation and he was delighted to find a smart black suit with a bright green tie that matched the color his eyes usually were as Chat and his signature Chat Noir bedhead. His ring was still silver. Who was he now, with Chat's powers but maskless? Chat Agreste? Adrien Noir? He chuckled at the thought.

"You clean up good Agreste." He mused to himself as he adjusted his tie and fixed his hair. When he was sure he was ready, Adrien took off down the stairs, ready for the best night of his life.

 

 

Adrien's car always attracted attention when pulling into the schoolyard and tonight was no exception. Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien's childhood friend, found him first. She was a vision as always in a daisy yellow mermaid dress, her hair pulled up in a classic beehive intertwined with a circle of yellow and black hexagonal stones resting on her forehead.

"Oh, Adrikins!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him. "You look so dashing! Look at us, all grown up and still as fabulous as ever." She paused to wipe away fake tears and surprised him by flashing a genuine smile and reaching forward to take his hands in hers. "I'm proud of you Adrien".

He couldn't help but smile at her and squeeze her hands back. "I'm proud of you too Chlo; always have been."

Chloé smiled at him one last time but then shook her head and pulled her hands away. "Alright, enough sappy business. I've got to go inside and find Sabrina. She's hopeless without me. _Au revoir_!" With that, she turned and walked towards the courtyard.

Adrien really was proud of Chloé. Sometime in their second year of school together she had appeared to lose much of her mean streak. It was nice to see her happy again, really truly happy like she was before her own mother's departure. She still had her moments of course, but even her worst enemy Marinette seemed to get along with her better afterward.

Speaking of Marinette… Adrien turned and looked out at the sea of people around him, wondering where she could be. With her would be Alya, Marinette's best friend, and with Alya would be Nino, Alya's boyfriend, and Adrien's best friend. As if on cue, Adrien was delighted to hear Nino's voice coming from the direction of the parking lot.

"Adrien, dude! What's up?" Nino was stepping out of a car and reaching in to help someone out. It was Alya, the two of them smiling and waving. Nino's hair was slicked back and he seemed to almost strut in a medium gray suit with a seafoam green bowtie and a pair of jade cufflinks glistening as he fidgeted with his sleeves. Alya complimented him in a sundress that made an ombre of bright orange to white. The dress was one sleeved and that sleeve came across the front and to a point ending at Alya's collarbone in a sort of swirl that was also an orange to white ombre. With her hair in a high ponytail, she looked ready to have the time of her life.

Adrien shook his head as he noticed himself looking at their clothes as if there were something familiar about them. "The devil is in the details" his mother used to say. He smiled and waved at Alya and Nino, heading in that direction. Upon reaching them Adrien and Nino exchanged a high five and Alya pulled him into a hug.

"We made it you guys, graduation night!" She laughed, grabbing for Nino and pulling him closer to reach into a hidden pocket in his jacket for her phone. "We've got to take a picture together. I'll even post it on the LadyBlog." As she said this Alya looked around and groaned. "Oops, Nino we left Marinette in the car. I forgot she was having trouble in those shoes…" She turned to Adrien sharply and smiled. "Adrien. Go get her for us, will you?" She practically shoved him in that direction.

Adrien was happy to oblige. Marinette was probably the nicest friend he'd ever had. She was even kind to him when he visited her as Chat Noir, something he never did with anyone else. She made the best croissants in all Paris and always smelled like fresh cinnamon buns. Smiling pleasantly to himself, Adrien opened the car door and held out a hand. "Hey Mari, need some help?"

A soft and freckled hand reached out of the car and took his, holding tightly as he pulled her to her feet. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust but when they did…

She took his breath away.

Adrien had never realized how pretty Marinette was. Her face was shaped in a whole new way with her hair in a cascade across her shoulder tied in a red ribbon. Five teardrops hung in a line from her ears that alternated red and black and her dress boasted a high mandarin collar and went to the floor with a slit down the left leg. It was red with black polka dots. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her feet to see the offending shoes.

How long had he been staring?

Bright blue eyes stared right back and Adrien found himself startled to think that she was as pretty as Ladybug. He cleared his throat and looked away, heat rising to his face. His hand still clutched her's tight.

"Marinette! Girl, what are you standing there for? Come and take a picture before the ceremony starts! You too Adrien, let's go!"

Adrien let go of Marinette's hand.

Alya is what broke the spell between them, whether she knew it or not, he was thankful to her. Rubbing the back of his head, Adrien walked toward Alya and Nino with Marinette behind him. After being shoved by Alya toward Nino, Adrien gladly put his arm around his friend and smiled widely. Alya took Nino's other side and Adrien expected Marinette to stand next to Alya, but before she could, Alya made another suggestion.

"Mari honey, why don't you stand next to Adrien?"

 _Damn it Alya_ , Adrien thought, uncomfortable and giddy at the same time. Marinette, who still hadn't said a word at this point, nodded and came to stand beside him, looking up at him as she placed a hand below his chest and the other at his shoulder blade.

"Is this okay?" She asked, and her voice was like music. Her smile lit up the room and it was like angels were singing and all Adrien could do –

Was nod.

Like a toddler first learning to speak, he had no words. Well, he had a few, but none of them eloquent at this point. _C'est la vie_.

Alya was impatient as always and she rolled her eyes. "You two kids ready? Say _bien joué_!" Adrien hardly had a moment to put his arm around Mari's waist, pulling her close and hearing a faint intake of breath before she relaxed against him, then Alya snapped the photo. A few moments later he felt a buzz in his pocket, signaling that Alya had sent him the photo. He made a mental note to hug her neck later.

"Attention students and parents, please report to the school courtyard, the commencement ceremony is about to begin, thank you." The voice of Mme. Olivier, the _Lycée_ Charlemagne principal, echoes around the school through the intercom system and Adrien has to force himself to let go of Marinette's waist.

"Well you guys, that's our cue. See you in there." Adrien all but sprints to the courtyard, throwing a wave at his friends behind him and tries not to think of the sweet blue eyes burning a hole in his back.

 

Seated comfortably at the front of his class section, Adrien tried to keep his eyes from straying to the far left of the stage where Marinette sat as Class B's representative and instead listened to the _terminale_ Class A's class representative deliver his speech and announce who in his class had decided what they were going to do next with their lives. Some would go on to _université_ and others would go on to work. Even still, some announced as undecided, which wasn't unheard of, but still had a sort of taboo around it. His own desires conflicted with his fathers and therefore, Adrien Agreste himself would be declaring as undecided. He had given his homeroom teacher Mr. Gardiner the form for the announcement weeks ago… and it still turned his stomach to think about it.

"Up next, _terminale_ Class B's Class Representative Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Mme. Olivier spoke from the podium, gesturing towards Marinette, who stood and took the principal's place. He watched her rest her hands on the edge of the podium and was flattered to see a flash of yellow at her wrist, the charm bracelet he had made to match the one she gave to him. His too was fastened around his own wrist.

As Marinette began her speech, her eyes traveled over Class B's section and when she met Adrien's gaze, he casually moved his arm to reveal his bracelet.

Marinette smiled.

Adrien wanted to melt in a puddle of goo.

"Thank you all so much for attending tonight's commencement ceremony. My name is Marinette and I'm pleased and honored to have been able to share the same class with all of the same classmates I've had since my first year at _Collége_ Françoise Dupont. We've really grown together as people, even in the face of adversity. I speak of course about Hawk Moth, the villain who has been plaguing our fair city in an attempt to steal the powers of the Miraculous Five". The Miraculous Five is what the city had chosen to name the heroes after the fox, the turtle and the honeybee joined the cat and ladybug. It had a nice ring to it and none of the Miraculous holders had ever told anyone to call them anything else.

"With the owner and operator of the LadyBlog in Class B, Class Deputy Alya Césarie, I asked her to see if she could contact Ladybug and ask if she had any advice for us as graduates. As the Light of Paris, Ladybug always has something inspiring to tell us and as always she didn't disappoint. She quoted Leo Tolstoy's ‘War and Peace' saying ‘all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing' which coincidentally is something that Alya herself told me on her first day at school when we first met. Ever since she passed on Ladybug's message, I've been wondering if Ladybug and Alya are one in the same, but unless Alya has a twin running the LadyBlog, I find that highly unlikely."

At this everyone in the audience laughed and Alya shot Marinette a thumbs up, causing Adrien to chuckle. Alya as Ladybug? He would definitely be able to tell if she was. Marinette seemed to take strength from the positivity of the crowd and she continued with a sort of fire in her voice.

"I feel like what Ladybug is trying to tell us is that no matter what we choose to do, we should do it in the spirit of goodness. Whether it's going to _université_ or joining the workforce," she paused for a moment and her eyes flashed to meet Adrien's, "Even if we're undecided, as long as we take the time and effort to do good, evil will not triumph. On behalf of all of _terminale_ Class B, I thank you so much for joining us on this night of celebration. Now it's my pleasure to announce each of my classmate's decisions for their future."

Adrien it seemed was not the only one that was undecided in his class. Himself, Alya, Nino, and Chloé had all stated that they would need more time to choose. Even Marinette, the class representative since Adrien's first year of school with her, had claimed undecided as well.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. Adrien and his classmates received their diplomas and everyone mingled for a long time until suddenly it was 11 PM and everyone began to go home. He said goodbye to Alya, Nino and Marinette and left, much too excited for his own good.

 

The picture that Alya sent him immediately became his background. Adrien didn’t think he had ever looked so happy in a photograph, not since his mother had disappeared; and Marinette was…

Adrien’s heart wanted to burst.

At 11:45 he decided it was time to leave for the Eiffel Tower and after switching into his normal suit, Adrien was Cat Noir and ready to spend time with his other friends for the night. Leaping out of his bedroom window, the wind whipped at his hair as he made his way to the Eiffel Tower, closer and closer to his Ladybug.

Upon arriving, Chat was delighted to see Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Queen Bee already there, setting up a place for the friends to sit and enjoy the night. Ladybug, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey Noir, what’s going on man? Long time no see, am I right?” Carapace came over and clapped Chat Noir on the back, grinning from ear to ear.

“Hey ‘Pace, what’s up? It’s only been 48 hours, are you in love with me or something?” Chat Noir chuckled and returned the greeting. It had been like that between the cat and the turtle since they had first met.

“Get a room you two, or come over here and help hang up these lights.” Queen Bee was bossy, but she knew that Ladybug was the real leader and had resigned herself to just being sassy. Rena Rouge rolled her eyes and laughed from over by a stack of cushions she was arranging into a seating area.

“You heard the Queen. Come on boys, let’s finish before Ladybug gets here.” Rena threw the last pillow down and turned to face them. “ _Mirage_ would make this so much easier, but then you’d all know my secret identity and that’s a no-no”.

Chat Noir and Carapace hung up the lights and surveyed their hard work just as the clock in Chat’s baton signaled midnight.

“Hello everyone.” Ladybug’s voice could be heard as she leaped into view onto the railing. “It’s good to see you all.” She held a very large box under one hand with the familiar logo of the bakery owned by Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s parents, the best in all of Paris.

“Food!” Chat and Carapace said together, rushing towards Ladybug. Carapace took the box of food from her and Chat offered his hand to help her down.

“Hey there Bugaboo. How was your graduation?” Chat asked her, smiling as he pressed her hand to his lips, his normal way of saying hello.

What Ladybug did in response next was not something she usually did and it threw Chat Noir for a loop. Instead of rolling her eyes and pulling her hand away quickly, she smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.

“It went really well Chaton,” She giggled, using a nickname for Chat Noir that she hadn’t used in a very long time. Chat was in heaven. “I brought everyone’s favorite food, as well as their kwami’s.”

“Will we be taking doggy bags home LB?” Queen Bee asked, raising an eyebrow. The only way their kwamis would materialize was if they all reverted back, and of course, they wouldn’t do that in front of each other.

Ladybug looked down at her feet, avoiding the question. “How about we all sit down? There’s something we need to talk about. Grab a snack.”

When everyone was settled, Ladybug took a deep breath. “We graduated today guys. We’re old enough now to make our own decisions, and we’re old enough now to face the consequences of our own actions. Today at my graduation, I announced that I was undecided about what I wanted to do.”

The other four bodies shifted uncomfortably and Chat Noir reached forward to take Ladybug’s hand. _Ladybug was undecided?_ He thought to himself, bewildered. “Bugaboo, there’s nothing wrong with – “. He would have continued had Ladybug not held up a hand to stop him.

“I’m not conflicted about it, that’s the thing. I’m undecided because I just can’t leave while we still have no idea who or where Hawk Moth is. I can’t and won’t leave Paris undefended.” She squeezed Chat’s hand and also reached over to take Rena Rouge’s, who was on her right. “I also know that it’s unfair of me to ask you to stay, not when I’ve kept so many secrets from you. That’s why I’ve talked with the Guardian, Master Fu, and we have agreed that it’s time… for each of us to know each other’s identities.”

 

Queen Bee was, surprisingly, the first to speak. “No Ladybug! That’s too dangerous!” Everyone else, including Chat Noir, couldn’t find the words to speak.

“That’s just it Bee, except for Chaton, I know who each of you is under the mask because I gave you your Miraculous. Now that we have the choice to move on with our lives and separate the Miraculouses from Hawk Moth’s grasp possibly forever, it would be so selfish of me to ask you to stay without you knowing every inch of the truth.” Ladybug’s jaw was set in that stubborn way that Chat Noir always found so endearing, and he found himself possibly moments away from seeing her face without the mask.

“My Lady… you know how I feel.” Chat Noir drew Ladybug’s hand against his heart, not daring to speak another word.

Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee all looked at each other skeptically, but after a few moments, they all sighed and nodded.

“Alright, we agree, we want to know the identities of our part – our friends.” Rena Rouge gave Ladybug a smile and leaned over to nuzzle her head against Ladybug’s shoulder. Ladybug smiled and rested her head on Rena’s for a moment.

“Okay, this is what you must do: we’re going to stand and the only thing you four have to do is say ‘revert’ and you’ll return to the outfits you wore at your graduations. I want you to see each other… before you see me. Understood?” Ladybug’s voice had suddenly gone quiet and nervous. Chat Noir squeezed her hand again and leaped to his feet, helping her up.

“Got it Bugaboo. Just tell us when.”

When they had all stood up and the cat, turtle, fox, and honeybee stood together in a circle, they all took a deep breath and together their voices barely rose above a whisper. “Revert”.

 

Adrien was blinded by the bright flash of light that could have only come from four Miraculous’ changing form and found himself standing face to face with Chloé, Alya, and Nino, his very dearest friends.

Chloé was, yet again, the first to speak. “ADRIEN?! YOU’RE CHAT NOIR?!” She turned to Alya and Nino and looked like she wanted to be disappointed, but couldn’t. “Rena – I mean, Alya? Nino? I… I don’t know what to say.”

Nino and Alya looked at her, then at Adrien, then at each other and both suddenly looked very guilty. “We knew each other, Alya and I. We’ve been dating since before either of us were chosen. We can’t keep secrets from each other. We just… pretended not to know in front of you.” Nino rubbed the back of his head and looked at Ladybug, embarrassed. “Sorry LB.”

Ladybug smiled and only shook her head. “I should have known.”

Adrien was still speechless, and it wasn’t until Nino came forward and clapped him on the back that he seemed to come to life. His _dearest friends_ had been fighting crime with him all these years! If only Marinette had been with them, Adrien would have cried on the spot. “Y-You guys I…” he couldn’t find the words.

“Don’t worry kiddo, we’re as shocked by you as you are by us. You know, it’s funny, I once told Marinette that you looked an awful lot like Chat Noir and she said I must have been crazy because you’re so much cooler. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to rub it in her face!” Alya couldn’t help but laugh, but she stopped when she turned to Ladybug and saw her looking down at her feet again. “Oh, hey Ladybug, what’s wrong?”

Adrien turned to look at Ladybug sharply and wondered if that look on her face was of disapproval. “Are… are you disappointed it was me Bugaboo?”

At that Ladybug looked up suddenly and practically screamed “No!” She caught herself and looked down again. “I’ve known it was you for quite some time, Adrien.”

He was shocked, so much so that he gasped, taking a step towards her. “You did? But how? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ladybug shook her head. “It would have complicated things. I’ve known since you got your scar.”

Adrien could have fainted. She was talking about the small, barely noticeable scar in his eyebrow, one that he had gotten almost a year ago fighting an Akuma. For some reason, it didn’t heal after _Miraculous Ladybug_ and Adrien feared he would lose his modeling career, but barely anyone seemed to notice. If Ladybug had worked it out, that meant she had known for almost a year and had never told anyone. She was so… _trustworthy_.

“Now that you’ve all seen one another, this time you need to close your eyes, and only when I say you can, you open them. Okay?” Ladybug’s voice was wavering and it only made Adrien want to take her in his arms and hold her close. He hated seeing her be afraid.

“Of course LB.” Chloé had broken her silence and was the first to close her eyes. “But I think, seeing as he’s been your partner the longest, Adrien should be able to see you first, right guys?”

“Yeah, I think so too.” Nino agreed, closing his eyes as well.

“Only if I’m the second,” Alya laughed, “Since I was third, _and_ I own the LadyBlog.” Her eyes slid shut as well.

“You guys… thank you so much…” Adrien was so proud of his friends and so thankful to them that they would give him that intimate moment with Ladybug, one that he had waited almost five years to have. He stared hard at Ladybug’s mask, at those eyes, and gave her one last smile before closing his own. “Ready when you are Bugaboo.”

It took what seemed like ages before Ladybug finally spoke in a strong voice. “Revert” Adrien felt a rush of air and his heart was pounded violently in his ears as he waited for her to speak again. When she finally did, her voice sounded scared. “Okay Adrien, you can open your eyes.”

He did slowly, making an effort to look at her feet. Ladybug wore a lovely pair of red Chinese slippers and her dress was red with black polka dots and it reached the floor with a slit up her left leg and it was all so familiar that he looked up quickly and it was her and his knees buckled and he fell forward.

“Adrien!” She shrieked, dashing forward to catch him. They both sunk to the floor under his weight but all he could see was her face and her eyes and her lips and the dusting of freckles over her nose and he reached up to cup her face in his hands and he choked out her name.

“Marinette.”


End file.
